In construction work, road repair, and similar duties, it is often necessary to remove a portion of earth, resulting in the formation of a ditch. Upon completion of work involved, it is generally necessary to fill the ditch. To properly fill this ditch so that it maintains adequate density and does not subsequently cave in, dirt, known as fill dirt, is introduced into the ditch and compacted therein to accomplish a soil density essentially equal to the origional undisturbed state. In many instances an asphalt covering over the packed dirt is desired in order to provide a surface covering consistent or integral with the surface adjoining the filled ditch.
Current methods utilized in filling ditches require the use of a loader vehicle whose loading bucket returns fill dirt to the ditch. However, the loader vehicle has no capabilities to compact the fill dirt or to compact the hot asphalt subsequently applied over the compacted dirt. To properly repack a ditch, separate equipment, an air compressor or a gasoline driven compactor, must be utilized. This machinery requires two operators to accomplish the task.
The invention disclosed herein permits usage of a single piece of machinery, a loader vehicle, along with a single operator to accomplish the proper filling and asphalt covering of a ditch. The dirt compacting and asphalt compacting roller unit disclosed herein is conveniently attached to the loading bucket of the loader vehicle, and permits both dirt compacting when detachable dirt compacting plates are attached as well as hot asphalt compacting when the plates are removed.